GDHQNHL15_2pg-Philadelphia Flyers 1

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Offense
An example of the Flyers’ issues here is that the acquisition of left
wing R.J. Umberger—for popular Scott Hartnell—is an expected upgrade,
even if Umberger scored only 34 points (18 goals) last year. The Flyers did
exceed the league average in goals scored last year, but they still averaged
under three a game, and that’s not enough for a team that has aspirations
beyond the first round of the playoffs.
There is no denying the talent of center Claude Giroux, whose 86
points led the team last year. Giroux is a strong scorer and an excellent
set-up man on the Flyers’ first line and has the ability to manufacture
offense in a variety of ways. He’s a tough player, despite not being overly
big, showed his clutch play with seven game-winners last year, and he is
clearly the team’s top man.
Second-line winger Wayne Simmonds brings a great combination
of scoring pop (29 goals) and power to the equation. He’s great on the
power play (15 goals) and has the ability to bull his way through and
around enemy defensemen. Seventh-year wing Jakub Voracek had
his best year as a pro in 2013-14, particularly because he notched a
career-high 39 assists. He’s a strong presence on the outside who can play
well at both ends.
The Flyers spent a lot of money on Vincent Lecavalier last year,
but he disappointed. He scored 20 goals but had a team-low minus-16
rating. Lecavalier scored eight times on the power play and had a shot
percentage of 15.2, best on the club, but he wasn’t a strong two-way
player. Despite Lecavalier’s presence on the second line, Brayden Schenn
may be moving ahead of him in the club’s perception. He had his best
year by far in ’13-14, scoring 20 times and looking like someone who
could produce even more in the future. Veteran Matt Read is another
reliable producer on the outside.
Defense
The Flyers received some bad news over the summer when veteran
defenseman Kimmo Timonen, a blue-line stalwart, was found to have
blood clots in both lungs and his leg. Timonen had wanted to play
one final season with the team, but this puts his future in significant
doubt, even though he has overcome clots previously during his career.
Although the 39-year old Timonen was no longer on the first line, he still
was still sixth on the team in assists last year and had a plus-five rating.
The top blue-liner in Philadelphia is Mark Streit, who was fifth on
the team with 44 points last year and had a plus-three rating. Braydon
EASTERN CONFERENCE
METROPOLITAN DIVISION
Wayne Simmonds
Philadelphia
FLYERS
Key Additions:
LW R.J. Umberger; D Michael Del
Zotto; D Nick Schultz
Key Subtractions:
LW Scott Hartnell; D Erik
Gustafsson; D Andrej Mezaros
Strengths:
Scoring depth, lack of size,
penalty kill
Weaknesses:
Power play, defense
Len Redkoles/NHL/Getty Images